The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of the well-known anti-depressant drug citalopram, 1-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydro-5-isobenzofurancarbonitrile, methods for the preparation of intermediates used in the preparation of citalopram, and methods for conversion of said intermediates into citalopram.
Citalopram is a well-known antidepressant drug that has now been on the market for some years and has the following structure: 
It is a selective, centrally acting serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) reuptake inhibitor, accordingly having antidepressant activities. The antidepressant activity of the compound has been reported in several publications, eg. J. Hyttel Prog. Neuro-Psychopharmacol. and Biol. Psychiat. 1982, 6, 277-295 and A. Gravem Acta Psychiatr. Scand. 1987, 75, 478-486. The compound has further been disclosed to show effects in the treatment of dementia and cerebrovascular disorders, EP-A 474580.
Citalopram was first disclosed in DE 2,657,013, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,193. This patent publication describes the preparation of citalopram by one method and outlines a further method which may be used for preparing citalopram.
According to the process described, the corresponding 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydro-5-isobenzofurancarbonitrile is reacted with 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl-chloride in the presence of methylsulfinylmethide as condensing agent. The starting material was prepared from the corresponding 5-bromo derivative by reaction with cuprous cyanide.
According to the method, which is only outlined in general terms, citalopram may be obtained by ring closure of the compound: 
in the presence of a dehydrating agent and subsequent exchange of the 5-bromo group with cuprous cyanide. The starting material of Formula II is obtained from 5-bromophthalide by two successive Grignard reactions, i.e. with 4-fluorophenyl magnesium chloride and N,N-dimethylaminopropyl magnesium chloride, respectively.
A new and surprising method and an intermediate for the preparation of citalopram were described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,884, according to which an intermediate of the Formula 
is subjected to a ring closure reaction by dehydration with strong sulfuric acid in order to obtain citalopram. The intermediate of Formula III was prepared from 5-cyanophthalide by two successive Grignard reactions, i.e. with 4-fluorophenyl magnesium halogenide and N,N-dimethylaminopropyl magnesium halogenide, respectively. Further processes are disclosed in international patent application Nos. WO 98019511, WO 98019512 and WO 98019513. WO 98019512 and WO 98019513 relate to methods wherein a 5-amino-, 5-alkoxycarbonyl- or 5-(sec. aminocarbonyl)phthalide is subjected to two successive Grignard reactions, ring closure and conversion of the resulting 1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran derivative to the corresponding 5-cyano compound, i.e. citalopram. International patent application No. WO 98019511 discloses a process for the manufacture of citalopram wherein a (4-substituted-2-hydroxymethylphenyl-(4-fluorophenyl)methanol compound is subjected to ring closure and the resulting 5-substituted 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuiran converted to the corresponding 5-cyano derivative,which is alkylated with a (3-dimethylamino)propylhalogenide in order to obtain citalopram. Finally, methods of preparing the individual enantiomers of citalopram are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No 4,943,590 from which it also appears that the ring closure of the intermediate of Formula HI may be carried out via a labile ester with a base.
It has now, surprisingly, been found that citalopram may be manufactured by a novel favourable and safe procedure using convenient starting materials.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to a novel method for the preparation of citalopram having the Formula I 
comprising:
reacting 5-carboxyphthalide successively with a Grignard reagent of 4-halo-fluorophenyl and a Grignard reagent of 3-halo-N,N-dimethyl-propylamine and then effecting ring closure of the resulting compound of Formula XI 
to a compound of Formula IV 
followed by conversion of the compound of Formula IV into citalopram.
In particular, the invention relates to such a method comprising:
i) reaction of the compound of Formula IV with a dehydrating agent and a sulfonamide of the Formula H2Nxe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94R wherein R is:
a) An optionally substituted NH2, or C1-6 alkyloxy,
b) aryloxy or heteroaryloxy optionally substituted with halogen, C1-4-alkyl, cyano, hydroxy, C1-4-alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, nitro, amino, C1-4-alkylamino or di-C1-4-alkylamino, or
c) aryl or heteroaryl optionally substituted with halogen, C1-4-alkyl, cyano, hydroxy, C1-4-alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, nitro, amino, C1-4-alkylamino or di-C1-4-alkylamino;
or
ii) conversion of the compound of Formula IV to the corresponding amide of Formula V 
xe2x80x83in which R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 alkyl substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group comprising aryl and heteroaryl, hydroxy, C1-6-alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, aryl-C1-6-alkoxy, or trisubstituted silyl wherein the substituents are independently C1-6 alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or aryl-C1-6-alkyl and then reacting the amide of Formula V with a dehydrating agent
thereby obtaining citalopram as the base or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof
The conversion of the 5-carboxy derivative of Formula IV to the amide of Formula V may be carried out via an activated acid derivative of Formula VI: 
wherein R3 is halogen, C1-6alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, aryl-C1-6-alkoxy, heteroaryl-C1-6-alkoxy, alkylcarbonate, arylcarbonate, alkylcarbamate, arylcarbamate, alkylthiocarbonate, arylthiocarbonate, alkylthiocarbamate, arylthiocarbamate, alkylacyloxy, arylacyloxy, heteroarylacyloxy substituted or unsubstituted aryl or substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl.
In another aspect, the invention relates to methods for the preparation of the intermediate of Formula IV comprising reaction of 5-carboxyphthalide successively with a Grignard reagent of 4-halo-fluorophenyl and a Grignard reagent of 3-halo-N,N-dimethyl-propylamine and then effecting ring closure of the resulting compound of Formula XI 
to a compound of Formula IV
The Grignard reagent of 4-halogen-fluorophenyl is a magnesium halide, such as the chloride, bromide or iodide. Preferably the magnesium bromide is used. The Grignard reagent of 3-halogen-N,N-dimethylpropylamine is a magnesium halide, such as the chloride, bromide or iodide, preferably the magnesium chloride. Preferably, the two reactions are performed successively without isolation of the intermediate resulting from the first Grignard reaction.
The ring closure of the compound of Formula XI is effected by an acid or via a labile ester with or without a base. Acidic ring closure is performed by an inorganic acid, such as a sulfuric or phosphoric acid, or an organic acid, such as methylsulfonic, p-toluenesulfonic or trifluoroacetic acid. The basic ring closure is performed via a labile ester, such as the methane sulfonyl, p-toluene sulfonyl, b 10-camphorsulfonyl, trifluoroacetyl or trifluoromethanesulfonyl ester with addition of a base, such as triethyl amine, dimethylaniline, pyridine, etc. The reaction is performed in an inert solvent, preferably with cooling, in particular about 0xc2x0 C., and is preferably carried out by a one-pot procedure, i.e. with esterification and simultaneous addition of the base.
The 5-carboxyphthalide used as a starting material may be obtained by the methods described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,884 or German patent No. 2630927, i.e. by reacting a concentrated solution of terephthalic acid with formaldehyde in liquid S03 or by electrochemical hydrogenation of trimellithic acid.
In yet another aspect, the invention relates to a method for the preparation of citalopram 
comprising reacting a compound of Formula IV 
with a dehydrating agent and a sulfonamide of the formula H2Nxe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94R wherein R is
a) An optionally substituted NH2, or C1-6- alkyloxy,
b) aryloxy or heteroaryloxy optionally substituted with halogen, C1-4-alkyl, cyano, hydroxy, C1-4-alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, nitro, amino, C1-4-alkylamino or di-C1-4-alkylamino, or
c) aryl or heteroaryl optionally substituted with halogen, C1-4-alkyl, cyano, hydroxy, C1-4-alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, nitro, amino, C1-4-alkylamino or di-C1-4-alkylamino.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to an antidepressant pharmaceutical composition comprising citalopram as the base or any convenient salt thereof manufactured by the process of the invention.
Throughout the specification and claims, the term xe2x80x98dehydrating agentxe2x80x99refers to any suitable dehydrating agent and a person skilled in the art may easily determine the optimal agent. Examples of suitable dehydrating agents are SOCl2, POCl3, PCl5, SOBr2, POBr3, PBr5, SOI2, POI3, PI5, P4O10, oxalylchloride, carbonyldiimidazole and Vilsmeier reagents. Preferably a chloro-containing agent, most preferably SOCl2 or POCl3, is used. Vilsmeier reagents are reagents formed by mixing of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and dehydrating agents, examples of which are DMF/SOCl2 and DMF/POCl3.
Throughout the specification and claims, C1-6 alkyl refers to a branched or unbranched alkyl group having from one to six carbon atoms inclusive, such as methyl, ethyl, 1-propyl, 2-pro-pyl, 1-butyl, 2-butyl, 2-methyl-2-propyl, 2,2-dimethyl-1-ethyl and 2-methyl-1-propyl. Similarly, C1-4alkyl refers to such a group having from one to four carbon atoms inclusive and C1-6- alkoxy, C1-4 alkoxy and C1-4 alkylamine designate such groups wherein the alkyl moity is as defined.
Halogen means fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine.
In method i) of the invention, one possible but non-limiting mechanism of the reaction is that the 5-carboxy compound of Formula IV reacts with the dehydration agent in order to form a corresponding activated derivative, which then reacts with the sulfonamide, H2Nxe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94R, thereby forming citalopram. During the latter reaction, a catalytic amount of an acid may be necessary.
The sulfonamide, H2Nxe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94R, used in the process is preferably sulfamide, NH2xe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94NH2.
The optionally substituted NH2 used in the process is preferably tert-butylamine.
The reactions with dehydration agents in the method of the invention are carried out neat or in a suitable solvent, such as sulfolane or acetonitrile. When a solvent is used in the dehydration reaction of ii), a catalytic amount of N,N-dimethylformamide may be needed.
In one embodiment of the invention, the manufacture of the compound of Formula IV and the conversion of the compound of Formula IV into citalopram is performed without isolation of the compound of Formula IV, a so called xe2x80x98one-pot synthesisxe2x80x99.
In another embodiment of the invention, the compound of Formula IV is at least partially isolated before conversion to citalopram.
The compound of Formula I may be used as the free base or as a pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salt thereof. As acid addition salts, such salts formed with organic or inorganic acids may be used. Exemplary of such organic salts are those with maleic, fumaric, benzoic, ascorbic, succinic, oxalic, bismethylenesalicylic, methanesulfonic, ethanedisulfonic, acetic, propionic, tartaric, salicylic, citric, gluconic, lactic, malic, mandelic, cinnamic, citraconic, aspartic, stearic, palmitic, itaconic, glycolic, p-aminobenzoic, glutamic, benzene sulfonic and theophylline acetic acids, as well as the 8-halotheophyllines, for example 8-bromotheophylline. Exemplary of such inorganic salts are those with hydrochloric, hydrobromic, sulfuric, sulfamic, phosphoric and nitric acids. The acid addition salts of the compounds may be prepared by methods known in the art. The base is reacted with either the calculated amount of acid in a water miscible solvent, such as acetone or ethanol, with subsequent isolation of the salt by concentration and cooling, or with an excess of the acid in a water immiscible solvent, such as diethylether, ethylacetate or dichloromethane, with the salt separating spontaneously.
The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may be administered in any suitable way and in any suitable form, for example orally in the form of tablets, capsules, powders or syrups, or parenterally in the form of usual sterile solutions for injection.
The pharmaceutical formulations of the invention may be prepared by conventional methods in the art. For example, tablets may be prepared by mixing the active ingredient with ordinary adjuvants and/or diluents and subsequently compressing the mixture in a conventional tabletting maschine. Examples of adjuvants or diluents comprise: Corn starch, potato starch, talcum, magnesium stearate, gelatine, lactose, gums, and the like. Any other adjuvant or additive colourings, aroma, preservatives etc. may be used provided that they are compatible with the active ingredients.
Solutions for injections may be prepared by dissolving the active ingredient and possible additives in a part of the solvent for injection, preferably sterile water, adjusting the solution to the desired volume, sterilising the solution and filling it in suitable ampoules or vials. Any suitable additive conventionally used in the art may be added, such as tonicity agents, preservatives, antioxidants, etc.